The River of Snowbourn
Disclaimer: I own nothing...blah blah blah you know the drill.
Summary:
short story Beside the River of Snowbourn that runs by Edoras, young Elfhelm first beheld Éowyn riding on the vast field of the Eastfold in the sun of the mid-summer with her brother. From then on he had loved her, watched her...in Edoras, on the field of Pelennor...
Author's Note: First attempt on Fanfic for years...and first attempt on LOTR...hope you'd like this short story. Short chapters, and there's only going to be three. AU for I ignored the fact that Émound died when Éomer was eleven and Éowyn was seven. I don't plan to write long stories until time permits and I get a proper story line...Please R&R!
Chapter One: By the River of Snowbourn
"Very fair was her face, and her long hair was like a river of gold.
Slender and tall she was in her white robe girt with silver;
but strong she seemed and stern as steel, a daughter of kings.
Thus Aragorn for the first time in the full light of day beheld Éowyn, Lady of Rohan,
and thought her fair, fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring that is not yet come to womanhood."
--The Two Towers
The sun cast its rays on young Elfhelm's face. He looked up and smiled. Too long had he last seen the field of Eastfold and ride on it. It was a great plain, Elfhelm could see the distant river of Snowbourn flowing to join to the great Entwash. The sunshine was dancing on the water waves, from far away it looked like a river of gold.
He rode straight on to Snowbourn, not knowing why. He has had a day of riding of course, but he was barely sweating. As one who would one day become one of the greatest Marshals of the Riddermark, he was already outranking some of the older Riders on horsemanship, and his sword was as deadly on ground as his spear on horse. Perhaps he thought of getting a drink, refresh himself in this lovely day of mid-summer, or perhaps he feared that his horse should be fatigued, being an old horse who had been with him ever since he was a young boy. Or, it was merely by chance that he rode to Snowbourn that day, without a particular reason.
Snowbourn was a small river, a horse could run over with its head above the water. It was not comparable to the Great River, but like Entwash, it has a special power to it. The spirits of those who drank the water of Snowbourn shall feel revived as if they were reborn. Elfhelm had also seen Anduin several times and had greatly admired its magnificence, but he preferred Snowbourn over all others, for beside which he grew up and from which he could feel the memories of his childhood.
When he arrived at the riverbank, he got off the horse and kneeled beside the river, washing his face with its cold water.
And it was then two horses ran pass Snowbourn and splashed water all over him.
Elfhelm felt humiliated. His cheek was red with anger. He stood up and opened his mouth to shout at the riders, but no sound came out of it.
One of the riders was a boy of his age, he skilfully wheeled his horse around to talk to the other. Elfhelm could see that this boy rides as good as himself.
But the other was a young girl in white, taller and more slender than other girls of her age. her hair was golden and glittering in the sunshine, like the river of Snowbourn he saw from afar. She turned around, her face very fair, fairer than any other Elfhelm had seen, her eyes were of the colour of the grey Sea. They were clear like the morning spring, yet cold they were, piercing like the ice of winter.
Elfhelm did not know what to do, he simply stood there, watching.
The boy saw him as he wheeled around. He immediately preceived what had came to pass, and softly called the girl. She stopped and looked at him. Elfhelm's face was still red, not because of anger but because he was blushing. He looked down and saw himself all wet, water dropped from his hair. He felt a strong urge to get away without her seeing him in this condition. He turned away from her abruptly, jumping on the back of his horse and rode away as fast as he could, not daring to look back.
Éomer checked his horse when he saw the Elfhelm rode away. His escape was so fast that Éomer barely had time to have a good look at his face. The sister-son of the King sighed. He turned around, just as his sister arrived.
"He's gone?" asked Éowyn.
"Yes," said Éomer.
"I did not see his face, but he must be very angry at us, "said Éowyn, "I wonder why he ran away? I hope I shall meet him again and apologize. " She gazed at Eastfold. Beyond the green horizon a small black figure was fading away.